Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-20
TEXAS TOMS BRIDE.
A Florida Girl Stalk. d at Poker by a
Busted Gamblsr-Two Thou.
sand Dollars
Comes This Way Honsymooning With
His Winning.
San Francisco Examiner.

his way around the country on nerve, not
an unusual wsy for him to travel, by the
way. He has been sfoat for himself
since he was five years old, and in the
sixteen years that have elapsed since he
attained that age Tom hasposed as pre-
cocious song and dance kid, jockey, gam
bier and general iobber. For long while
he was leading rider and trainer with
Lorillard on the famous Rancocas farm
and the prominent eastern tracks. Then
the Lsdy Of the Lake was doped, cloud
was cast on the lad, Lorillard discharged
him and the cloud Las been gathering in
darkness ever since. job after Job was
/ charged against Tom, and now he is bar
red from thirds of the tracks in the
country. He has been into everything of
a sporting nature since the turf declined
him and has been fairly successful. What
ever may be the depth of his unscrupu-
lousness, he does not lack the nerve be
talks Of travelling on. and when that came
nerve has carried him successfully
through financial plot he is good to
friends of former days.
Thomas P Redmond is his baptismal
name, but Texas Tom has been his appel
|
1.-THE of the turfmen who know him and
have written columns about him are
aware of the name left him by his father.
Barely twentY-one years OF age he has
lived through more than most FOUNDERS
of fifty; not very good life perhaps,
but certainly q most memorable and
exciting one. Consider bic Of his
eventful history WAS published on the
| ~ vic 20
cisco, something over year ago, and
only one of the latest and strsngest
phases of it furnishes an excuse for de-
voting fresh space to him.
Tom promenades Market street every
evening with very beautiful woman,
apparently year or two younger than
himself, whom he addresses as Ray. She
is on q par with him in height, is bru-
perfection, and decorated with 6 pair OF
paralyzing brown eyes Of saucer-like pro-
portions. She wears diamonds and looks
happy and interested in Tom.
Tom sports light summer suit, q light
gray plug hat, and on parade appears
proud of the attention attracted by his
companion.
AS they passed through the blaze of the
|
business Office two or three evenings
since member OF the staff was engaged
in conversation with a northwest sport
ing man, who remarked that the young
couple were on a bridal tour, growing
out of poker game.
"You have often read" he continued,
fof a woman being won, both in the tales
of the knights of old and in lstter-day
To- fhHf fYi- u
you Just saw him with, but without sword
or courtship. In plain words, he won
her st poker, after one of the longest and
hottest sessions I ever saw over q round
table,"
Pressed for the story, the speaker told
little only romance in Redmond's Lie
About three years ago slick short
Ic.rd gambler named William Townsend
took professional tour through the
south In a Florida hamlet he encoun-
tered beautiful girl of sixteen, who &C
cepted his fash for genuine and married
him against the will OF her parents, we'll
to-do and respectable people. Townsend
showered jewelry and rich rsiment on
his child bride, but she could not descend
to mis- level at first, and the GOODNESS that
arose between them soon after the hsstY
marriage was rapidly widening into a
breach Leading to separation, when Texas
encountered them in st. Paul, Mimi, q
little ever two months ago. He roomed
in the same house, and after a few chance
meetings Tom and Townsend's wife
found themselves in love with each other.
Eight weeks ago last Monday afternoon
Texas, Townsend and four others sat
down in Redmond's room to play poker.
The game was small al first, % cents ante,
but the stakes rapidly sweiled to figures
that made it exceedingly interesting
Hour after hour wore away and length
ened into plurality of days, and Texas
won considerable money. One player
after another dropped out, physically or
! financially exhausted, others dropped in
and dropped out until finally at the end
of three days only Texas and Townsend
remained. This pair ate and drank be-
tween the deals, played standing up and
did everything but sleep.
After the second day the game began
to be q sort OF show, and hundreds
iocked in to watch the players, and cal
culate how long nature could stand the
strain.
In three days Townsend had lost $4,000,
all his available cash, but he begged for a
| SuOlb WniCA 1CAhS S1duSSOs
| It was midnight. Texas stole an hours
nap on the table, while Townsend made
q hurried trip to his rooms. His wife
was asleep, and it was an easy matter to
carry Off her jewelry, mostly diamonds,
and aggregatl6g in value about $1,000.
While she slept on, unconscious Of her
loss, Townsend returned, woke up his
opponent, and asked for an allowance on
the gems. Texas sleepily advanced $1,000,
and play was resumed.
1t WAS purely q scientific game, each
man being too clever for the other to dare
attempt any work.
All the next day the play continued in
the presence of crowd, attracted by It's
protractlon. Fortune seemed to smile
on Townsend for awhile, but the tide
turned toward noon, and at the end Of the
fourth day of the sitting Texas had him
cleaned out.
ISIS that enough?" he asked quietly,
gathering up his winnings.
"No, it isn't" sullenly returned the de-
feated gambler.
"All right; what have you got to bet?"
sYeu SEEM stuck on that woman OF